As the cost of conventional, nonrenewable energy sources continues to rise, more and more people are seeking means of reducing their personal energy consumption. Because heating equipment is generally the largest energy drainer in homes, office buildings and other structures, they are trying to economize by turning down their thermostats and learning to live and work in a cooler, indoor environment.
Energy availability and fuel reserves being what they are have caused the administration to encourage citizens to set the thermostats of their homes and businesses to a temperature lower than many consider to be comfortable. High energy costs have also encouraged people to set their thermostats lower. In many cases energy costs have deprived residents of the heat they need. The availability of fuel is expected to become more of a problem over the next several years, and costs are expected to become higher. The lack of energy for heating, whether it is a result of poor service, limited fuel supplies, or fuel costs can be disturbing to a householder. When members of a family are very young or very old, lack of heat can sometimes be tragic.
People who once set their thermostats at 73.degree. F. day and night are trying to adjust to indoor temperatures of 65.degree. or even less. However, such low temperatures may not be high enough to protect the health of the very young, the sick or the aged; and such low temperatures may not provide the comfort necessary for people of any age to perform their work efficiently or to enjoy their leisure pastimes.
While once homes were designed so that only the portions being used could be heated, cheap and abundant fuels during the last 25 years have encouraged the construction of buildings that do not permit this flexibility.
Although it may be desirable to alter modern homes and buildings to permit efficient, selective heating of individual rooms, the cost of required alterations can be prohibitively high. Small, portable space heaters are inefficient, and large rooms rapidly dissipate heat from small space heaters.